Spiral excavating bucket



P 3, 1963 A. A. BURNS 3,102,348

SPIRAL EXCAVATING BUCKET Filed March 26, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I/INHHH 'mmunmnu 1Q..-

la. law

w 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIII/III9 INVENTOR Ar'l'hur BUI'I'IS Sept. 3, 1963 A. A. BURNS 3,102,343

SPIRAL EXCAVATING BUCKET Filed March 26, 1962 4"$h eets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Arflwr A. Burns Sept. 3, 1963 A. A. BURNS 3,102,348

SPIRAL EXCAVATING BUCKET roh 26 1962 dMa 2 5 J v y /////////////W//////////////// Sept. 3, 1963 A. A. BURNS 3,102,348

SPIRAL EXCAVATING BUCKET Filed March 26, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.I5.

INVENTOR Arfiwr Burns United States Patent Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,281 9 Claims. (Cl. 37-118) This invention relates to spiral excavating buckets for use in excavating broken rock or unbroken earth from mine shafts or other vertical or semivertical excavations.

A hoist operator lowers the machine to the bottom of the excavation by cable, he lowers additional cable, he then draws in the additional cable which activates the machine. When the machine is loaded he raises it to the place at which it is to be emptied. This may be in a mine headframe, underground transfer station, or from a portable rig. A modification of the bucket to allow an alternate method of emptying is described.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a spiral shaped bucket with ratchet operated means for rotating the bucket on a horizontal axis until it is loaded.

Another object of this invention is to provide tooth-like projections on the back of the bucket which come into use between scoops to plow the material to be loaded. This minimizes wear on the bucket wall and positions rocks for better loading.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring I loaded rewind mechanism and ratchets on a drum which cause cable to be taken up by the drum when the cable is lowered, thereby enabling the bucket to be activated when the cable is pulled.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a machine which requires no operator on the machine, and which will feel its way downward as it digs.

An additional object of this invention is to provide means of attaching guide followers which pernnt the machine to work below guides and yet align itself and follow the guides when it is raised. This mechanism also controls the direction the machine faces while it is loading below the guides.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE -1 is a side elevational view of an excavating bucket constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a back elevational view showing the machine extending below shaft guides.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the :top crosshead.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the direction selector beam.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a guide follower equipped with a single hinge.

FIGURE 6 is a top view of a guide follower showing two locked hinges.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing lower cr-osshead clearing the frame of the machine.

FIGURE 8 i a fragmentary perspective View showing a lower mount for a flexible line.

FIGURE 9 is a partially exploded view showing drum and crank axle assembly.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a reversible ratchet on the axis of the bucket, taken on line 10-10 of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 11 is a vertical section of a reversible ratchet taken on line 11--1.1 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a side elevation view showing relation of ratchet to bucket.

29 where it can engage with the Wall of the bucket.

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view showing location of a trap door on the bucket.

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary elevational view of the inner side of a one-Way ratchet lever.

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 15-15 of FIGURE 14 and showing a pawl protruding from side of bucket.

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary interior view showing a latch suitable for locking a trap door shut.

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary exterior view showing the latch.

FIGURE 18 is a fragmentary vertical section showing latch taken on line 18--18 of FIGS. 16, 17.

FIGURE 19 is a fragmentary cross section showing latch taken on line 1919 of FIGURE 16.

The following is a numerical description of a spiral excavating bucket including its driving mechanism.

A cable 1, which serves both as a hoisting cable and as a means of supplying mechanical power to operate the invention, passes through the top of the frame 2 and downward where it is attached to a drum 3. This may be attached removably by using an eye 4 on the cable 1 which rotates on a pin 5 as shown in FIGURE 9.

This drum may rotate freely on shaft 6 counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 9. A spring 7 causes this rotation to take place whenever the tension of the cable 1 is released. The spring 7 achieves this by unwinding small cable 8 from a spool 9 located on the side of .the drum, and over guide pulley 1G and onto spring spool '11, which is attached to the spring 7. This rotation causes cable 1 to be wound on drum 3. When the cable 1 is pulled, the motion is reversed causing spring 7 to be rewound. This also causes drum pawls 12 to rotate ratchet wheel 13 which turns shaft 6. This transfers the power of the moving hoisting cable to two cranks 14 and 14 set apart. Each of these cranks has a roller 15 which engages in a channel 1 6 made on the face of substantial levers 17 which oscillate on axle 18. These levers rotate the bucket 19 by means of heavy duty ratchets, preferably by twin reversible ratchets, one of which is shown in FIGURES 10 and 11, which will enable the bucket 19 to be rotated backwards in order to discharge its load. Such ratchets may be recessed and enclosed in each side of the bucket 19 behind the levers 17 for protection against abrading. 1

Referring to FIGURES 10 and 11, an axle 18 is fitted with a control lever 20 and two pawl-releasing plates 21, one in each side of the bucket [19. These plates, the axle, and the control lever are joined as one unit by pins 22, so the control on both ratchets is synchronized.

The pawl-releasing plates 21 are connected by springs 23 to spring mounts 24 which when shifted will tilt ratchet pawls 25. These pawls are mounted on the inside faces of ratchet levers 17a.

Each pawl-releasing plate 21 has arms which will prevent some pawls 25 from reversing while others are stuck due to the load they are carrying. The plates 21 will push the stuck pawls free, or they will prevent the axle 18 from turning far enough to cause the springs 23 to reverse the free pawls.

The pawls engage against ratchet teeth 26 made inside the housings which enclose the ratchet assemblies.

FIGURE 13 shows a door 27 to be used for unloading a bucket which does not have reversible ratchets. The door is hinged on the leading edge, and fitted with a spring-loaded latch 23. FIGURES 16, 1'7, 18, and 19 show how a latch sufiicient for such purpose may be constructed. This latch fits into a slot :cut into the door 27 and is forced toward the edge of the door by a spring It is prevented from leaving the slot by stops 30 made on the door.

FIGURES 14 and 15 show a simple one-way ratchet which may be used to drive a bucket with a trap door. In FIGURE 15 a pawl 31 is forced to protrude from a housing in the side of the bucket by a spring 32. A circle of these units engage with notches cut into the face of the ratchet levers 17b; see FIGURE 14.

In laying out the ratchet for the bucket it should be noted: If the ratchets are halfway out of phase when the ratchet levers 17 are parallel to each other; the degree between the ratchet teeth (or notches) which are uniformly spaced may be a little less than double the degrees of pivot each ratchet lever has. This will enable the minimum number of teeth (or notches) to be used.

For example:

A ratchet having nine positions 40 apart may have a lever swing of 22, giving 2 overlap. I

A ratchet having eight positions 45 apart may have a lever swing of 25, giving 2 /2 overlap.

The bucket 19 has two fiat vertical sides lying in parallel planes and a spiral-shaped connecting wall which generates approximately 450 around a central horizontal axis, thereby permitting sufficient overlap to prevent excess spillage as the partially loaded bucket 19 revolves to complete its load; see FIGURE 2.

A reaction to this rotation causes the bucket 19 to roll toward a wall of the excavation. A vertically swinging bumper-brace 33 is built to withstand more force than the buckets blade will exert. The bumper-brace 33, which is shaped like a U, is hinged from points near the axis of the bucket 19, and supported by tension springs 34, and is limited in its upper motion by telescoping members 35 equipped with still compression springs 36. This bumper-brace should be made removable so that on occasion it can be removed, enabling the bucket 19 to claw at the side of the excavation.

To assist loading coarse material the curved wall of the bucket may be equipped with shredders 37, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, which will rip the ground and roll larger rocks ahead where they will load more readily.

It is obvious that teeth may be put on the opening of the bucket to assist in loading coarse material.

The frame 2 is built to support the above mentioned parts and is'tall enough to reach from the bottom of the excavation to guides 38 which are built into the excavation. FIGURE 2 shows the top of the frame 2 centered between guides by a crosshead 39. The crosshead is fitted with guide followers 40, which can be unlocked in order to disengage them from the guides 38; see FIGURES and 6.

The frame can rotate on a vertical bearing 41, shown in FIGURE 7, which permits the bucket to load in any direction. The bearing, which can be made of pipe, is hollow with a large enough opening to admit a cable 1 with an eye 4.

Below this crosshead is a beam 42, FIGURES 2 and 4, which also rotates about the top of the frame 2, but

which is normally locked by operating a handle 45 to engage with a notched Wheel 44. This wheel is attached to the top of the frame 2..

Chains 45 are attached to the ends of the beam 42 and extend downward where they pass through mounts 46 low on the sides of the frame. Tension is maintained on the chains by springs 47.

A lower crosshead 48 moves on chains 45 and is prevented from coming off the ends of the guides 3-8 by a stop 49 clamped near the bottom of each guide. It has holes for the chains to feed through, and its guide followers 40 are built so that they can be disengaged from the guides.

While the machine is traveling on the guides, the lower crosshead 48 is at the bottom of the chains 45, thus preventing the machine from swinging. But when the machine goes below the guides 38, the lower crosshead 48 is detained by the stops 49 clamped on the guides, while the rest of the machine continues downward. The chains feed down through the crosshead. If the beam 42 is not set parallel to the upper crosshead, the chains becomeskewed causing the machine to turn as the chains move downward through the holes in the lower crosshead. In this way the direction the machine loads can be controlled.

The connecting member of the lower crosshead 4 8 is offset so that it does not collide with the frame 2.

For the purpose of laying the machine down without creasing the cable :1, a curved trough 50 is provided on the upper crosshead 39. This curved trough curves away from the vertical axis of the machine as. shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

It will be understood that it is not desired to limit .the invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of'the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bucket which rotates on a horizontal axis near its median, and which is comprised of two parallel walls perpendicular to said axis, and a substantially spiral-shaped connecting wall extending between and fixed to said parallel walls, said spiralshaped wall generating about said axis in such a manner as to overlap ends forming an opening bounded on' two sides by said parallel walls and on two sides by said spiral-shaped wall; a ratchet on each side of said bucket centered on said horizontal axis; levers to operate said ratchets.

2. -A structure as claimed in claim :1, wherein projections protrude outwardly from and are fixed to the periphery of said bucket, radial lines perpendicular to said bucket axis defining the leading edge of said projections.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the periphery of said bucket has a trap door for dumping purposes, said trap door having hinges and a latch and being located at a distance from the aforementioned opening.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 1 which has, above and parallel to the bucket axis, a crank axle which has a crank attached to each end, each crank being 180 ttrom the other, and each crank engaging in a groove located in the upper endot said ratchet levers; a frame to maintain relationship of the crank axis to the bucket axis.

5. An excavating machine comprising a spiral-shaped bucket which fills by rotating on a horizontal axis, and which has, above and parallel to said horizontal axis, a crank axle which has a crank attached to each end, each crank being from the other, and each crank engaging in a groove located in the upper end of ratchet levers which drive said bucket; a frame to maintain relationship of the crank axis to the bucket axis; a drum sufiicient to wind cable upon is placed on said crank axle a spring to turn said drum on said axle in one direction to wind cable on said drum when said cable is not in tension; a ratchet which joins said drum with said axle when the drum is turned in the other direction.

6. An excavating machine comprising a spiral-shaped bucket which fills by rotating on a horizontal axis, having a bumper-brace which is U-shaped, its ends journaled on or near the axis of said spiral-shaped bucket, said bumperbrace being maintained in a generally horizontal position by springs.

7. In combination, a bucket which rotates on a horizontal axis near its median, and which is comprised of two parallel walls perpendicular to said axis, and a substantially spinal-shaped connecting wall extending between and fixed to said parallel walls, said spiral-shaped wall generating about said axis in such a manner as to overlap ends forming an opening bounded on two sides by said parallel walls and on two sides by said spiralshaped wall; an enclosed reversible ratchet located in each side of said bucket at the axis; means for reversing said reversible ratchets.

8. In an excavating machine, a crosshead journaled to swivel about a vertical axis at the top of machines frame,

under this a direction selector beam journaled at its center on rthe same axis and provided with means to lock its position in various directions with relation to said frame, flexible lines extending' downward from the ends of said 9. A stmcture as claimed in claim 8, a curved grooved strap being included on the top of said top crosshead starts tangent with a hoisting line and curves upward and away from said 'line until it is at right angles to said line beam and secured to the sides of said frame low on said 5 and to said top crosshead.

frame, springs provided to maintain tension on said lines, a lower crosshead sufiiciently offset or boxed to clear said frame, said lower crosshead having holes which enclose said flexible lines and permit said lines to move vertically through said holes, guide fiollowers located at each end of both of said crossheads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wagner Sept. 8, 1931 Sights Mar. 9, 1954 

1. IN COMBINATION, A BUCKET WHICH ROTATES ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS NEAR ITS MEDIAN, AND WHICH IS COMPRISED OF TWO PARALLEL WALLS PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY SPIRAL-SHAPED CONNECTING WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN AND FIXED TO SAID PARALLEL WALLS, SAID SPIRALSHAPED WALL GENERATING ABOUT SAID AXIS IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO OVERLAP ENDS FORMING AN OPENING BOUNDED ON TWO SIDES BY SAID PARALLEL WALLS AND ON TWO SIDES BY SAID SPIRAL-SHAPED WALL; A RATCHET ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BUCKET CENTERED ON SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS; LEVERS TO OPERATE SAID RATCHETS. 